Feed water regulator



Oct. 25, 1932. c, ARMSTRONG 1,884,504

FEED WATER REGULATOR Filed Sept. 5, 1929 Patented Oct. 25, 1932 PATENT OFFICE GLIFFORID HARRY ARMSTRONG, OF NORTH FINCHLEY, ENGLAND FEED \VATER REGULATOR Application filed September 5,1929. Serial No. 390,447.

This invention relates to feed water regulators for controlling theflow of water to steam boilers. The regulator is of the thermostat or expansion tube type. One. of the objects of the invention is to provide a regulator which is very simple, compact and powerful, being so arranged as to eliminate stresses which tend to strain the apparatus and prevent positive action at alltimes. other object of the invention is to provide for a large range in the elevation of the water in the boiler without passing beyond the limits of control of the regulator. ther objects of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing and the following description thereof.

Of the drawing, Fig. l is an elevation of a feed water regulator system which embodies the features of my invention; and Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the feed water valve of the system.

In this instance, I have shown the regulator associated with the boiler 10. The boiler has a water gage 1'1, and the regulator isdesigned a to retain the water level elevation within the limits of the upper and lower petcocks12 or" the water gage, the average water level or the normal water level being substantially at V the same elevation as the central petcock 13. These details, however, are not a necessary part of my invention. The thermostat-itself comprises a \.'-shaped or U-shaped tube or, as is indicated, it may comprise the two tubes 15 and 16, suitably connected, by means of a coupling head 17, so that the tubes communicate with each other. The coupling 17, or the connected ends of the tubes it directly connected, are fixed in position. In this instance, the head is fixed to a stationary support 18. The upper end of the combined system communicates, by means of pipes 20, with the steam space of the boiler, and the lower end communicates, by means of pipes 21, with the water space of the boiler. As a consequence, the water in the thermostat stands always at substantially the same elevation as the water in the boiler.

As is well understood, with regulators of this nature, the thermostat is arranged so 3} that, as it expands or contracts, owing to variations in the water level, it operatesthe feed water valve so as to allow more or less water to pass into'the boiler. In this instance, the connection between the thermostat and the feed water valve 22 comprises a system of levers so arranged that each branch of the thermostat, while'operating its one lever, coacts with the other branch to operate a lever for controlling the valve.

' The exact details of these levers is not essential but I prefer to have the upper branch associated with the bell crank lever 23 which is pivotally connected, by a link 24, with the common valve operating lever 25; The lever 25 is connected with the feed water valve by means of a link 26 and an arm 27, the arm being associated with the plunger 28 of the valve in a well known manner. A weight 30 at all times tends to open the valve when'allowed to do so by thethermostat mechanism. The lower branch 16 of the thermostat is pivotally connected with the bell crank lever 31, which, by means of a link 32, is also pivotally connected with the lever 25 and, thus, coacts with the branch 15 in operating the lever 25 and also the valve plunger 28.

In operation, with the boiler carrying the normal or average load, and with the water level in the boiler about at the central'petcook, the valve will be opened sufiiciently to supply water substantially at the same rateas the output through the steam main and, in case of an increased load and corresponding lowering of the water level, the steam will pass into the upper end of the lower branch 16, and this branch will expand some and allow the longarmof the lever 25 to sink, thus opening further the valve and allowing more water to enter the boiler.

On the other hand, if the water rises above the normal elevation, it will pass into the upper branch 15, causing this branch to contract and this contraction will force the arm 27 upwardly and close further the valve, so as to bring the water level back to the desired 95 elevation.

It will thus be seen that one branch or the otheroi the thermostat will vary the opening of the valve if the water level varies, as obviously the reverse process of that described would follow the reversal of the water level change. And the limits of action of the thermostats will be the upper and lower ends of the two branches. So that, with two short tubes, instead of one long one of twice the length, assuming the inclination to be the same, the rigidity of the system is materially greater, as any bowing tendency of the short tubes is far less than that of a single long tube. Also, by increasing the lengths of the tubes, even without changing the inclination,

the range of control will beincreased accordplay or slack is entirel taken up by the unscrewing t and the weig it of the operating me anism.

The amount of the valve opening with reference to the water level elevation may be varied h adjusting the position of the coupling 17 is may be done by means of the bolt 34 which is threaded into the couplin and 1s heldf inr osition with reference to t e slipport 18 y means of the lock nuts 35. y

the nuts somewhat, the thermo- 1i will be shifted to the left, and this will ,low the long arm of the lever 25 to sink and thus to open correspondingly the valve 22.

. I Iclaim as my invention:

, 1 I. A boiler system comprising a boiler, a feed water valve and a feed water regulator for controlling the flow of water to the boiler through said valve in accordance with the water level elevation in the boiler, said regulator comprising a V-shaped tube with its branches lying in the same vertical plane, communicating means connecting the outer ends of the branches with the boiler at two spaced points, and operative means connecting each of said ends with said valve, said means comprising a floating lever, each of said ends being operatively connected with one end of said lever, and the other end of the lever projecting towards the junction of said branches and being operatively connected with said valve, said lever being positioned between the branches of said tube, the inner end of said lever being mounted substantially over said feed water valve and the outer end being positioned in substantially the same plane as the ends of said tubes.

, 2. A feed water regulator comprising a V-shap;d tube mounted with the branches of the tu lying in the same vertical plane, a

support for said tube, the outer ends of the branches of said tube being adapted to be operatively connected respectively with the steam space of the boiler and'the water space of the boiler, the other ends of the branches being fixed to said support and communicating with each other, a floatin lever positioned between the two branc ies and substantially in the same plane as the branches, lever means pivoted to said support connecting each of the outer ends with said floating lever at spaced points, and means connectin the inner end of said lever with said va ve. I

3. A feed water regulator for a boiler system, comprising a V-shaped tube and a T- shaped support therefor, the said tube being mounted in a vertical lane, with the cross member of the frame jacent the outer ends of said tube, and with the apex of the tube fixed to the other end of the frame, levers pivoted to each end of the cross member and pivotall connected to the adjacent tube end, and a oating lever mounted between the branches of the tube with one end pivotally connected with each of said levers and with the other end operatively connected with the feed water valve of the boiler, the ends of the branches of the tube being in communication with the boiler at spaced points.

4. A feed water regulator as claimed in claim 3, in which all of said levers and connecting means lie in substantially the same plane as the tube branches.

5. A feed water regulator comprising a V-shaped tube, with the axes of the branches thereof lying in the same vertical plane, and the outer ends of the branches being adapted to communicate respectively with the steam space and the water space of the boiler, and operating means for connecting each of said ends with the feed water valve of the boiler, said means being arranged to produce at all times a tension on each of said tube branches.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand.

CLIFFORD HARRY ARMSTRONG. 

